How to Read Pinyin

Reading Pinyin is not really so difficult as the alphabet only has 63 letters. If you pay close attention, you can memorize the sounds in less than a couple days.

Introduction to Pinyin

Pinyin is the romanized spelling of Chinese character sounds. They have both initial and final sounds. The finals sound loud while the initials are a bit quieter. The finals are divided into two groups: single finals and compound finals. The single finals contain only one vowel. The compound finals contain several vowels or a combination of vowel sounds.

Once you learn the sounds of the individual letters and the combinations in pinyin, you can really speed up your Chinese learning pace. Contact us at Hanbridge to jumpstart your Chinese learning with a free trial class.

Pinyin table with tones

ā

á

ǎ

à

āng

áng

ǎng

àng

iū

iú

iǔ

iù

ē

é

ě

è

ēng

éng

ěng

èng

iē

ié

iě

iè

ī

í

ǐ

ì

īng

íng

ǐng

ìng

üē

üé

üě

üè

ō

ó

ǒ

ò

ōng

óng

ǒng

òng

er

ē

é

ě

è

b

P

m

f

ān

án

ǎn

àn

ǖ

ǘ

ǚ

ǜ

d

T

n

l

ēn

én

ěn

èn

āi

ái

ǎi

ài

g

K

h

īn

ín

ǐn

ìn

ēi

éi

ěi

èi

j

Q

x

ūn

ún

ǔn

ùn

uī

uí

uǐ

uì

zh

Ch

sh

r

ǖn

ǘn

ǚn

ǜn

āo

áo

ǎo

ào

z

C

s

ōu

óu

ǒu

òu

y

W

Combination of Pinyin

a

o

e

i

u

ü

ai

ei

ui

ao

ou

Iu

ie

üe

er

b

ba

bo

bi

bu

bai

bei

bao

bie

p

pa

po

pi

pu

pai

pei

pao

pou

pie

m

ma

mo

me

mi

mu

mai

mei

mao

mou

miu

mie

f

fa

fo

fu

fei

fou

d

da

de

di

du

dai

dei

dui

dao

dou

Diu

die

t

ta

te

ti

tu

tai

tui

tao

tou

tie

n

na

ne

ni

nu

nü

nai

nei

nao

nou

niu

nie

nue

l

la

le

li

lu

lü

lai

lei

lao

lou

liu

lie

lue

g

ga

ge

gu

gai

gei

hui

gao

gou

k

ka

ke

ku

kai

kui

kao

kou

h

ha

he

hu

hai

hui

hao

hou

j

ji

ju

jiu

jie

jue

q

qi

qu

qiu

qie

que

x

xi

xu

xiu

xie

xue

zh

zha

zhe

zhi

zhu

zhai

zhui

zhao

zhou

ch

cha

che

chi

chu

chai

chui

chao

chou

sh

sha

she

shi

shu

shia

shei

shui

shao

shou

r

re

ri

ru

z

za

ze

zi

zu

zai

zei

zui

zao

zou

c

ca

ce

ci

cu

cai

cui

cao

cou

s

sa

se

si

su

sai

sui

sao

sou

y

ya

ye

yi

yu

yao

you

yue

w

wa

wo

wu

wai

wei

an

en

in

Un

ün

ang

eng

ing

ong

b

ban

ben

bin

bang

beng

bing

p

pan

pen

pin

pang

peng

ping

m

man

min

mang

meng

ming

f

fan

fen

nin

fang

feng

d

dan

dun

dang

deng

ding

dong

t

tan

tun

tang

teng

ting

tong

n

nan

nen

nin

nang

neng

ning

nong

l

lan

lin

lun

lang

leng

ling

long

g

gan

gen

gun

gang

gong

k

kan

ken

kun

kang

keng

kong

h

han

hen

hun

hang

heng

hong

j

jin

jun

jing

q

qin

qun

qing

x

xin

xun

xing

zh

zhan

zhen

zhun

zhang

zheng

zhong

ch

chan

chen

chun

chang

cheng

chong

sh

shan

shen

shun

shang

sheng

r

ran

rang

reng

rong

z

zan

zen

zang

zeng

zong

c

can

cen

cang

ceng

cong

s

san

sen

song

y

yan

yin

yun

yang

ying

yong

w

wan

wen

wang

weng

Three Spelling Syllable Table

ia

iao

ian

iang

iong

ua

uo

uai

uan

uang

Üan

b

biao

bian

p

piao

pian

m

miao

mian

f

d

diao

dian

duo

duan

t

tiao

tian

tuo

tuan

n

niao

nian

niang

nuo

nuan

l

liao

lian

liang

luo

luan

g

gua

guo

guai

guan

guang

k

kua

kuo

kuai

kuan

kuang

h

hua

huo

huai

huan

huang

j

jia

jiao

jian

jiang

jiong

juan

q

qia

qiao

qian

qiang

qiong

quan

x

xia

xiao

xian

xiang

xiong

xuan

zh

zhua

zhuo

zhuai

zhuan

zhuang

ch

chua

chuo

chuai

chuan

chuang

sh

shua

shuo

shuai

shuan

shuang

r

ruo

ruan

z

zuo

zuan

c

cuo

cuan

s

suo

suan

y

yuan

w

In Chinese, a syllable is formed by combining the initial sound with the final, the content at the beginning of syllable is initial, and the remain part is known as the final.

There are 21 initials and 38 finals.

The finals connect with the Intitial sounds to create the one syllable words that are the basis of the Chinese language.

Although all Chinese words are one syllable, they are often combined to create terms made from several words.

About The Author

Mollan Mo

Mollan holds a bachelor’s degree in teaching Chinese as a foreign language. Experienced and skilled, she utilizes a variety of activities and methods to keep her classes lively. She loves her job and her passion to share her language and culture with others drives her to help her students succeed.
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